Interpersonal Communication in News Diffusion: A Study of “Magic” Johnson's Announcement

Abstract

A meta-analysis of thirty-four news diffusion studies shows that the general importance of a story is positively associated with the level of diffusion and likelihood of hearing the news interpersonally, but not the rate of telling others. A second study examined the spread of the news of “Magic” Johnson's positive HIV test. Results indicate that personal importance affected whether a person tells others. These findings identify the important role of individuals and the importance of the news in the diffusion process. News that is personally relevant to an individual is more likely to be discussed with others.